Steam-generating plant



June 24, 1930. I 0, DILLQN I 1,768,514

STEAM GENERATING PLANT Filed April '7, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet l Wm I 0 {MW a WQZZ-W I We? June 24, 1930.

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STEAM GENERATING PLANT Filed A ril '7, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 24, 1930.

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Patented June 24, 1930 um s r-A res OVAL L. DILLON, OF.K'A1 T-SAS CITY, MISSOUR-Ji,-ASSIGNQR TO vromoan I."HILLIPS,1OF

KANSASv CITY,- MISSOURI I STEAMLGENERATING PLANT The present invention. relates tosteanr-geire crating apparatus, and. has for: its general object to provide an improved. steam, generating plant comprising various novel;

I tunes of construction and! alsozot general utility. In one of its formatheassembly of the generating plant comprises a. base casing adapted to be carried-by the chassis frame of the vehicle, and alsoadapted to acconnnoe date the burner unit 01? the -plant,.andto. sup:-

port both the boiler structure and-the; steam condensing unit, all of improved design;

Another object of the invention isto provide an improved means of air: circulation is for not only feeding therequired air'supply to-the burner chamber, but also to'distribute the heated air in the most eiiectivc: manner tothe boiler structure, as well as to exert a superheating eifect upon the steam storage chamber from which the steam supply is conducted to the steam cylinders of the engine;

It is further sought to. provide an improved construction oft'hisg-eneral type,.the character oi? which is such as to:benot only highly efficient inits operation, but adaptedato' sime pli'ty the operation inexpensive.

With the toregoing'genera l objects in View, as wellas various minor objects, which will appear in the course of thedetailed -specificas tion, the-invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings. il-

lustratingone practical form of embodiment of the improvements, after which those fea tures deemed tobe novel will be particularly set forth and claimed. a i V In the drawings- Figure I is aside elevation illustrating a steam generating plantconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front endview ofthe same on a larger scale, with a portion of the mid- A dle section of the condenser partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectionalview', representing a section taken on the line HI -III: of Figurefi';

'Figure- 45 is a. transverse section taken on of repairing the same whenever necessary, by rendering the repair or replacement of parts both convenient and "the linelV-IV of Fignrea1 ,but. on ailarger i scale and showing theboiler'assembly in end elevation; a i Figure: 5. is aseetionali plan View oi the apparatus, beingranirregular section, to. show a partof the steam storage chambenlandzcerrain of the. boiler headers in plan and others] in horizontalv section, and with the middle condensing unit as well as the housingistructure which encloses the boiler assembly also 69 shown in section; I

Figure 6 is a-plan View, onsubstantially the same scale, illustrating" the lower. or

1 burner and water case part of theappa'ratus,

certainp'ortions beingbroken. away; e5 7 F1gure 7 is. a section taken. on the line VII-VIIiof'Figtii el; and i Figure 8" isa sectional detaili of the; air

'dratt valve or damper.

, Referring now to the drawings in detail- 7,0. these'illustrate the lower portion. of the gen- I erator assembly as comprising a casing 10 which. is connected; at its opposite sides to the chassis 'frame 11: by means: of ball and socketelements, each composed of a bracket Z5 12 attached to the 'chassiscframe and formed with a split socket portioIr 13. toraccommodating: a ball 14 having a basev portion. attachedtoione side of; thecasing 10 (see: Fig; ure The interior of the casing 10 is formed'as: a water-chamber 1 6 plOVlCl'Bd: at its front end with a cleansout cap 17,. and at. its

oppositeend with afiller pipe. 18- for renew ing' the water supply within the chamber-16 as often as necessary. Arranged; approximatelycentrally' through thecasing 110 is a. shell or housing portion 20 the upper margins of which. are integral with theinner margins of thetop portion 21 r of the casing 10 (see Figuret), while the sides and bott'omot the-housing 20 are joined integrally by web portions 22 with the sides and bottomof the casing 10. This shells or housing 20 thus f-orms asuitabl'e chamber-tor removably accommodating the casing 24 of the burner assembly which is of approximately the same length as the casing 16 and provided at'its'front end: with an exterior handle-26' whereby the casing 245-and remairn ing the burner assembly may be conveniently slid in or out of the space provided therefor in the shell or housing 20.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 and 6, these illustrate the front end of the burner. casing 24 as formed with a compartment 28 for accommodating a pipe coil 29, the chamber 28 being separated by a partition 30rfrom another smaller chamber 31, as shown in Figures'6 and 7. The heat produced by the burner is proposed to be generated from the burning of oil conducted to the coil 29 from a supply pipe 32 connected with a suitable tank (not shown), the coil 29 being designed as a vaporizing coil adapted to be subjected to the flame action of a nozzle member 33, adjacent to which is a spark plug 7 34 for use in priming the action of the burner.

Connected with the oil supply pipe 32 is a pipe forming a secondary coil 35 in front of the nozzle 33, and leading to a two-way valve 36 adjacent to the nozzle 33 and also connected with a pipe 37 leading from a suitable gasoline tank (not shown). A pipe 37 is also provided leading from any suitable source of compressed air supply, for feeding air under pressure to the nozzle member 33, this pipe 37 being also provided with a regulating valve 39. Fromthe secondary coil 35 is extended a pilot flame tube 40 forward into position alongside the forward portion of the main burner tube 41 which is provided with a pipe 42 connecting its forward end with the generator coil 29, the tube 41 being supported by means of a leg 43 centrally within the forward portion of the burner casing 24 (see Figure 4). In this position, the burner tube 41 underlies a longitudinal opening formed as a flame passage 44 through the top of the burner casing 24, over which the boiler assembly is arranged, as will presently be described.

.Referring now'more in detail to Figures 3 and 5, these illustrate the boiler structure as made up of a'plurality of duplicate and renewable sections, each section being composed of a pair of header members connected by a plurality of water tubes 51 arranged in staggered relation and extending across the space between the headers and over the flame passage 44, the drawings illustrating these tubes as occupying horizontal positions, although this is of course not essential. Adjoining header members 50 at the same side of the boiler (that is, on the same side of the flame passage 44,) are detachably connected by dove-tailed tongue-and-groove joints 52, and the lower outer margins of the headers are provided with flanges adapted to be secured by means of cap screws 53 to the bottom casing 10. t approximately half way up the outer side of each header member 50, the same is provided with an inlet pipe connection 55 leading from one of a pair of water supply pipes 56 connecting at the rear of the boiler with a pipe 57 (Figure 1) leading from a pump 58 mounted on a shelf extension 59 from the bottom casing 10, this pump being in turn connected through a pipe 60 with the water chamber 16. By this means, a supply of water is adapted to be maintained in the headers 50 and water tubes 51 up to the level of the supply pipes 56. The ends of the water tubes 51 are rolled or welded to the inner faces of the header members, and the outer walls of the header members 50 are provided with openings in alinement with the several tubes 51; up to the water level represented by the supply pipes 56, these openings are sealed by means of suitable plugs 62 and gaskets 63, while above the water line a suitable soft or safety type of plug 64 is used, which is adapted to expand and crack in response to the action of an excess steam pressure in this portion of the boiler assembly.

Each of the header members 50 is also provi ded at its lower end with an outlet pipe connection 66 (Figure 4) communicating with one of a pair of mud or sediment drain pipes 67 provided with valves 68, whereby the boiler structure may be drained from time to time and any mud or sediment removed by way of the outlets thus provided.

The top of each header member 50 is fur ther provided with an outlet steam connection 70 adapted to be detachably connected, as by means of a union element 71, with a steam collecting or storage chamber 72 which is thus mounted and supported in position directly overlying the water tube assembly, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. This steam chamber is provided with two or more soft or safety plugs 73 (see Figure 3) of the same type as the safety plug 64, while the front end of said chamber is also provided with a suitable safety valve element 74, which is preferably provided with a control connection 75 (see Figure 1) leading to the cowl or instrument board 76 of the vehicle. The rear end of the steam storage chamber 72 is provided with a passage 78 (see Figure 3) communicating with a steam chest 79 having a connection 80 with a suitable gage element 81 on the instrument board 76, and also provided with the necessary pipe connections 77 controlled by a throttle valve 81 and adapted to connect with the valve mechanism (not shown) of the engine, only one cylinder 82 of which is represented (see Figure 1) The throttle valve 81 is shown as provided with suitable link connections 83 to a lever 84, which in turn is connected by a link 85 with a pedal 86 in posit-ion for convenient operation by the driver of the vehicle. The dash 87 of the vehicle is provided with a sight water gage 88 communicating with a water cylinder 89 in front of the dash and having connections with the steam pipe 80 and also with a water pipe 90 which communicates with the boiler stri'l'cture at a level slightly lower than that of the water supply pipes 56.

A housing or jacket structure is providedforenclos'ing theboilerassemb'ly,thisst-ructure 9 2 for preventing undue loss of heat to the exterior. The outer housing sections are provided with bottom flanges 95 secured by cap screws 96 to the outer marginsof the casing- 10,- while at the top the meeting edges of the hOH'Slfig'SGCtlOflS are supported by engage: ment with a set of brackets97, the legs'of which are bolted to the header structure-of the boiler. At the front and rear ends of the? boiler str'ucture,the same is enclosed by means of vertical end walls or sheets 98 likewise secured to the bottom casing10, and provided at the top with a tie rod 99 traversing the several bracket members 97, There is thus provided (seeFig'ure 4t) an air circulating space lOOimmediately surrounding the ex terior of the boiler structure and steam chamberinto'which the flames and gases discharge after passing the watertube assembly, as indicated by the arrows-in said view; By this circulation a superheating efi ect is exerted uponthe'steam collecting chainbe'r 72, and anoutlet pipe 101 (seeFig ure 1) is provided for conducting'these discharge gases from-the lower ends of thisspace 100 at each side oft'he boiler assembly to the jacket spaces102'surrounding the steam cylinders82, for preserving the efliciency of the steam therein, eX- haust passage 103 being provided for concilucting ed the wastefga's'es from said cyliners.

Referring again to Figure 4c, the space be tween the walls of tl'ie housing sections 92 provides air circulating passages 104 for conducting fresh air from a pair" ofinletopenings 105, this air'being conducted downward- 1y at opposite sides of the" boilerassemblyjan'd into airsupply tubes 106 formed in the tolp of the base casing 10 and through the-wal of the housing 20 and burnercasing 24,thus introducing a continuous supply of air directly into the burner'ch'ainber, wheretlre air currents are deflected slightly upward by means of battle elements 107, in thedirection' of the flame passage 44.

The openings 105 above referred to com'-- municate by way of a conduit 1'10'with'the casing 111 of a fan 112- which is arranged to pull fresh air through the mi'ddlesection 114 of the condenser hereinafter described. The shaft 115 of the fan 112 is connected directly with a steam turbine 116 mounted between the fan and boiler assembly (see Figures 1 and For operating the fanya stearn pipe 117 is provided which conducts the low pressure exhaust steam directly from the engine c linders (see Figure 1), and, as shown in Figure 3, the exhaust of steam from the tinbine casing is conductedby way of a pipe'118 directly into the top section 1190f the condenser. i

The top section 119 of the condenser is simply ahollow casing suitably braced by means ofa stay rod 120 connectedto the dash 87. 1 Into this casing is also extended a water pi 3e 121 leading from a suitablesource of water supply (not shown) and provided with a water spray element 122 in position, as shown in Figure3, for feeding aspray of water directly in the path of the discharge of czthauststeam from the pipe 118. The casing 119 is fitted upon and secured to the middle condenser section 12, the front outer wall of which comprises a perforated sheet of metal for permitting an intake of air under the action of the fan 112, to'which the air is admitted through an opening 126 in the rear wall'otthe middle condenser section. Within this middle section is arranged a series of small vertical tubes 127 through which the steam and water may passfrom the upper, section 119 while beingsubj'ected to the cooling eitect of the air drawn in by the fan, and thence may discha'rge'into the lower con-- denser unit128; This third condenser section is'formed simply as a collecting Challi her, the opposite sides of which communicate As an external housing-or hood, it is proposed to furnish a' suitable casing 130' of sheet material, as represented in Figure 1,

extending from the dash 87 to the upper condenser section 119, in theusual manner.

In former steam genera-ting plantconstructions, for motor vehicles of the steam-driven typdlaro't ision isn'ot ordinarilyma'de for the quick removal of defective water tubes, or for cleaning the scale'and carbon fromthe sides of the tubes, these being usually designed for carryinga fixed volume of water in both the tubes and headers. Consequentw ly, boilers of this type cannot,-un'd'er abnor- Inal conditions, generate high pressure dry steam, and additional superheater's are required for increasing the steam pressure. Some ofthese types of boilers include a se ries of copper coil watertubes known as-the flash type, the purpose of which is to generate quickly a high degree of pressure of dry steam; one disadvantage of this type, however, is that insuflicient space is afforded for a satisfactory water capacity, when carried in the boiler tubes and coils, for .responding to the demand for a large volume of high pressure steam under a high heat pressure, since the water will expand so rapidly as to prevent the free circulation of new water as it comes into the tubes, so that the result is really only a wet steam at low pressure.

' This involves the addition of extra water tube coils for superheating the wet steam, and thus requires additional burners and correspond ing equipment.

In the present improved construction which has just been described, a highly efficient arrangement is provided as regards obtaining the most efiective heating action from the burner and upon the water tubes of the boiler structure, the flames and heat ed gases from the burner traversing directly across all of the tubes which occupy the hottest zone directly above the burner, and thereafter the flames and hot gases are directed downward outside the boiler headers for prolonging the heating action upon the boiler as sembly prior to the discharge of the exhaust gases through the conduits 101. The steam collecting within the storage chamber 72 is likewise maintained at an efficient temperature by virtue of the position of the casing 7 2 directly in the path of the very hottest gases as they rise through the central space between the boiler headers. As has already been indicated, in case of any unit of the boiler assembly requiring repairs, such as cleaning out the scale, the provision of the removable plugs 64 affords direct access to the corresponding tubes 51; or, any one unit of the assembly, including a pair of the headers and connecting tubes, may obviously be removed from position without disturbing the other header and tube units, in the event of a new unit having to be installed to replace a defective unit. It may also be explained that in case of an excess steam pressure resulting in blowing out one of the plugs 73, the escaplng steam will merely pass through the space inside the jacket or hood structure comprising the hood sections 9 1, and thence through the passages 106 into the burner chamber, and thus kill the fire without any damage being done; by this means all danger of a serious explosion is averted, since the steam passing into the fire box will escape to the exhaust gas conduits 101 and out beneath the vehicle, thereby preventing any injury being done either to the generator or to the finish of the car.

With relation to the starting of the burner operation, it will be understood that the valves 36 and 39 will, in practice, be provided 'With suitable control connections (not shown) designed to be operated from the instrument board of the vehicle, and the spark device 34 will likewise be operated by a control connection similarly locate-d. The valve 36 is first operated to admit gasoline to the nozzle 33, to be ignited from the spark plug 34, which serves also to ignite the vapor in the primer tube 10, and to initiate the vaporizing action within the coil 29. After the priming action has been completed, the valve 36 is operated to shut ofif the gasoline flow to the nozzle 33 and open the flow of oil thereto, the nozzle 33 being continuously supplied with oil for the remainder of the burners operation. The flow of air from the pipe 37 to the nozzle is regulated in accordance with the requirements by the control of the valve 39.

The theory of operation of the remaining portions of the apparatus will be apparent, without further detailed explanation, excepting to state that provision is also made for regulating the supply of air from the fan 112 to the air spaces 104, for which purpose a slide valve or damper 131 is provided for opening and closing an exhaust port 132 see Figure 8) in one side of the conduit passage 110, said slide valve being provided with a screw threaded lug 133 engaged by the threaded end of an operating rod 134, the other end of which is provided with a handle portion 135 on the face of the dash 87. By this construction it is apparent that, by the opening of the slide valve or damper 131, a part of the air drawn in by the fan through the middle portion 01": the condenser may simply be exhausted to the exterior of the conduit member 110 without entering the spaces 104:. 7

It may further be pointed out that an advantage also lies in the fact of the water supply for the generating plant being kept hot during the operation of the boiler, due to the return of the exhaust steam into the condenser assembly, and the temperature of the water being held due to receiving the heat from the fire box and boiler. This enables the generating plant to be started up again quickly, in the event of the fire going out, by the pumping of comparatively hot water into the boiler instead of cold water, and no necessity being present for using a boiler feed water heater as a part of the equipment.

It will thus be apparent that I have devised a highly practical and efficient arrangement and construction for fulfilling the desired objects of the invetnion, and while I have illustrated what I now regard as the preferred. form of construction I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A steam generating plant for steamdriven motor vehicles comprising a base casing, a burner carried within said casing, and

' a boiler structure carried by said casing and comprising a plurality of pairs of header members connected by water tubes extending transversely directly over said burner, the adjoining pairs of header members having dove-tailed tongues and grooves detachably connecting said members to each other.

2. In a steam generating plant of the character described, a base casing formed with a burner chamberhaving a longitudinal top opening, the space below and at the sides of said chamber providingawater supply chamber, means providing a burner structure ar ranged in longitudinally extending relation beneath said topopening, and a boiler structure comprising a set of vertical header members arranged in a longitudinal series at each side of said top opening of the casing and a series of Water tubes extending transversely over said top opening and connecting said sets of header members;

3. In a steam generating plant of the character described, a base casing formed with a burner chamber having a longitudinal top opening, the space below and at the sides I of said chamber providing a water supply chamber, a burner housing removably fitting said burner chamber and having a longitudinal flame opening for registering with said first opening, and a burner mounted longitudinally within said housing directly beneath said flame opening.

4. In a steam generating plant of the character described, a base casing formed with a burner chamber having a longitudinal top opening, the space below and at the sides of said chamber providing a water supply chamber, means providing a burner structure arranged in longitudinal extending relation beneath said top opening, a combination housing and air conduit structure overlying said casing, and air conduit members traversing said water supply chamber and providing air conduit passages from the bottom of said housing and conduit structure to the sides of said burner chamber.

5. In a steam generating plant of the character described, a base casing formed with a burner chamber having a longitudinal top opening and also air intake openings at the sides of said chamber, the space below and at the sides of said chamber providing a water supply chamber, a burner housing removably fitting said burner chamber and having a longitudinal flame opening for registering with said top opening of the casing and also having side openings adapted to register with said air intake openings, a burner member arranged longitudinally within said burner housing and underlying said flame opening, and air conduit members traversing said Water supply chamber and providing air conduit passages from the exterior of said casing to said intake openings.

6.- In a steam generating plant of the character described, a base casingformed with a burner chamber having a longitudinal top opening and also air intake openings at the sides of said chamber, the space below and at ing said flame opening, air conduit members traversing said water supply chamber and providing air conduit passages from the extcrior of said casing to said intake openings, and air bafile elements carried by the interior of said burner housing adjacent said side openings and adapted to deflect the incoming air in the direction-of said flame opening. In witness whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

OVAL L. DILLON. 

